Online Computer Terms Dictionary - P

passphrase

<operating system> A string of words and characters that you type in to
authenticate yourself. Passphrases differ from passwords only in length.
Passwords are usually short - six to ten characters. Passphrases are usually
much longer - up to 100 characters or more. Their greater length makes
passphrases more secure. Modern passphrases were invented by Sigmund N. Porter
in 1982.

Phil Zimmermann's popular encryption program PGP, for example, requires you to
make up a passphrase that you then must enter whenever you sign or decrypt
messages.